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Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday 11am-11pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-12am
Sunday 10am-9pm
Bar Bambino is my new favorite spot in San Francisco… not
merely for drinks but food, coffee, conversation, familial service
and the Italian spirit exemplified! If you have an ounce
of love for authentic Italian culture, food and drink, run,
do not walk, to Bar Bambino. Every visit transports me back
to Italy. I never want to leave the magic that encompasses from
the first greeting of their down-to-earth staff, to the last creamy
drop of an affogato.
The décor is sleek, with grainy woods, modern design, communal
and individual tables with a slick, little patio out back. The
downside is the narrow space which can get tight when busy. Come
early after work or mid-afternoon when it’s quiet or make reservations,
as Bambino is already packed even on weeknights past 7pm, though
less than two months old. I want the ‘newness factor’ to
pass so the crowds will likewise mellow – simultaneously, I
long to see steady customers so they need never change their wonderfully
rare all day hours, like a true Italian enoteca (wine bar).
My husband and I have visited Bar Bambino multiple
weeks in succession and find the welcome from the staff unbelievable.
We’ve not just been treated politely, we’ve made friends,
shared stories, are remembered and welcomed when we walk in. We
sit at the bar for a glass of wine, a bruschetta (the
salt cod bruschetta is particularly salty and satisfying), homemade pasta, an appetizer (like
the silky grilled polenta with roasted tomatoes and balsamic glazed
onions), or a panini (we devoured the
sausage, peppers, onions and provolone sandwich). We can
order a bite, a glass of wine, a cappuccino or a full meal; grab
a table or stay at the bar… however the mood strikes.
We’ve ordered buttery, smooth olive oil tastings
or charcuterie and cheese platters… all from various regions
of Italy, with fascinating US selections thrown in for good measure. The
fact that they have a charcuterie and cheese station is
reason enough to like this place. Making friends with our ‘charcuterie’ expert,
we were treated to the platter we ordered and a selection or two
besides, each bursting with flavor: peppery, salty or studded with
herbs. Accompanying the cheeses is a large platter of nuts
and dried fruits.
The selection of unusual beers is impressive and the wine selection
robust. With each visit, while trying to decide on a wine by
the glass, we’ve been offered tastes to make an informed decision,
discovering unfamiliar Italian wines and proseccos. On a
most recent visit, the refreshing Adami Garbel Prosecco was
an unexpected delight, both dry and refreshing.
In addition, the coffee, a most crucial factor
in Italian gastronomy, is dark, rich and smooth…genuinely “Italian”.
For dessert, the affogato (espresso over
vanilla ice cream), though surprisingly tiny compared to Bambino’s
otherwise reasonable portions, is THE most flawless affogato I’ve
tasted. The espresso is richly redolent of the earth with the vanilla
bean gelato slowly melting, making a pool of creamy heaven with which
to end a meal at this brilliant neighborhood Italian and wine bar “plus”. |
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